Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that the government is committed for the promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) facilities across the country. The Federal Minister was addressing the contract signing ceremony of Universal Service Fund (USF) projects “Broadband Coverage on National Highways & Motorways (Balochistan) & Next Generation – Broadband for Sustainable Development projects in Dadu & Hyderabad” here on Monday. Universal Service Fund has awarded contracts to Telenor Pakistan for broadband coverage on national highways and motorways in Balochistan, and provision of services in Dadu and Hyderabad. He said it is very heartening that with constant dedication and devotion, Ministry of IT and Telecom is achieving yet another milestone today. This event marks one of the greatest landmarks achieved in the field of IT and Telecom in Pakistan and will go a long way in taking the developmental work being done by Government of Pakistan to a greater level, he said. The Federal Minister said it is a fact that with the emerging information age, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are seen by countries all over the world as critical for achieving progress in economic and social development. In Pakistan also, the socio-economic development is directly linked to provision of ICT services and it is the endeavor of the government to bring all parts of the country at par with each other, he said. He said USF has so far launched multiple projects for the socio-economic uplift of people living in the unserved and underserved areas of Pakistan. In order to take this further, Ministry of IT is adopting an innovative approach to enable people of Pakistan to reap further benefits from the projects, he added. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said seamless broadband coverage on motorways and highways is of critical importance for security of commuters. He said Ministry of IT through USF will continue to work towards achieving the mission of broadband penetration across the country to facilitate the masses in rural areas. He said the Broadband for Sustainable Development is the hallmark program of USF which is designed to provide telecom services to the unserved Mauzas across the country. The projects in Dadu and Hyderabad will help bridge the digital divide by providing services to the unserved communities. They would also open-up new horizons for the people and provide them e-commerce and a host of other services that they could not have imagined a few years back, he said. He said digital services are a rapidly evolving field and can provide better health, education, agriculture and business opportunities to the people in these areas. The Federal Minister also congratulated USF and Telenor for doing such an incredible job and for achieving this landmark.
PREVIOUS NEXT
